Equine Performance and Abilities
Curiosity and Vigilance
Temperament is a complex trait influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. Individual components of temperament are potentially under different controls. Curiosity in the horse has been defined as an interest in novel objects and a willingness to approach them. Vigilance refers to the tendency of a horse to examine its surroundings. For this particular SNP, horses homozygous for the G allele (G/G) displayed both higher curiosity and lower vigilance scores, whereas horses with one or two A alleles (A/A and G/A) had lower curiosity and higher vigilance scores.
Research Confidence:
Moderate confidence, findings replicated in multiple species
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DMRT3 or "Gait"
Horses display a wide variation in locomotion, with “gaited” breeds displaying a range of unique footfall patterns at intermediate speeds. Even amongst the non-gaited (trotting) breeds, some individuals are capable of lateral movements. Also, while most horses will shift into the three beat canter at higher speeds, some horses are able to remain in their intermediate gaits (for example, harness racing breeds). The A/A genotype for this test is associated with the ability to remain in the intermediate gait at higher speeds.
Research Confidence:
High confidence, findings reproduced in multiple studies
More about the Gait gene...
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Myostatin Insertion: The Speed Gene
Thoroughbred races are held at a variety of distances, with individual racehorses usually displaying a preference for a range. There is some suggestion that sprint horses (which compete at distances less than 6 furlongs, or 2/3rds of a mile) are more compact and muscular than horses that run at longer distances. This insertion has been associated with racing distance for winning Thoroughbreds at the top level of competition, with A/A horses excelling at distances of 8 furlongs or less and T/T horses found more in races of 9 furlongs or more. Horses with one copy of each allele won at all distances
Research Confidence:
High confidence, findings reproduced in multiple studies
More about the Speed gene...
Horse Height and Size Prediction
The domestic horse displays a wide range of size variation, from the tiny Miniature Horses to the towering draft breeds. While height is a complex trait involving a variety of genetic and environmental factors, the breeding systems of domestic animals has led to a small number of genes being responsible for large amounts of variation in several species. One study in the horse has shown four loci can explain up to 83.5% of body size variation. This SNP in particular explained 68.5% of the measured variation in height, with the T allele being associated with small body size, and the C allele with large size (T/C animals displaying an intermediate size).
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Research Confidence:
Moderate confidence, findings reproduced in multiple studies
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